October 19-22, 2003
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

For more information contact
Ed Leach (480) 705·8200 x233

Hosted By:
Wisconsin Technical
College System

Future Conference Dates:

November 7-10, 2004
Tampa, Florida

Diana Oblinger is the Executive Director of Higher Education for Microsoft Corporation. She provides strategic direction for higher education programs at Microsoft and works closely with customers on a variety of instructional technology issues. As a spokesperson for higher educational concerns, Oblinger speaks and writes on a range of higher education issues.

For the previous two years, Oblinger was a consultant and Senior Fellow for the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research where she directed the development of Research Bulletins, a bi-weekly publication that synthesized current issues for college and university executives. She also serves as an Adjunct Professor of Adult and Community College Education at North Carolina State University.

Oblinger also has served as the Vice President for Information Resources and the Chief Information Officer for the 16-campus University of North Carolina system. Oblinger was responsible for strategic planning and policy development for information technology as well as for collaborative programs in teaching and learning with technology, student services and IT procurement.

Over a 10-year period, Oblinger held a variety of management positions within IBM including academic programs and strategy executive, academic consulting, and was the IBM Director of the Institute for Academic Technology. Before joining IBM, Oblinger was on the faculty at the University of Missouri-Columbia and at Michigan State University. At the University of Missouri, she served as an academic dean and was recognized for her work in student recruitment, retention, faculty development and student computing.

Known for her leadership in teaching and learning with technology and distributed learning, she serves on boards such as the University of Texas TeleCampus and is on the Editorial Board of Open Learning. She is a member of the Board of Visitors for the Air University, the educational arm of the Air Force. Oblinger chairs the National Visiting Committee for the National Science Digital Library project for National Science Foundation. Oblinger also has testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Technology.

A frequent keynote speaker, Oblinger is the co-author of What Business Wants from Higher Education, which received the 1999 Frandson Award for best literature in continuing education. She is co-editor of five books, The Learning Revolution, The Future Compatible Campus, Renewing Administration, E is for Everything and Best Practices in Student Services as well as the author or co-author of more than two dozen monographs and articles on higher education and technology topics.

Oblinger has received outstanding teaching and research awards and was named Young Alumnus of the Year by Iowa State University. She holds three degrees from Iowa State University: a B.S. in Botany, an M.S. in Plant Breeding and a Ph.D. in Plant Breeding and Cytogenetics. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi and Sigma Xi.